In the middle of the Deauville Festival come two top races.
On Saturday it's the G3 Prix Guillaume d'Orano for 3yos over 2000m and there are five starters – one of which is well credentialed and another completely unknown. Cualificar Fabre-Cristian Demuro did well in the Jockey Club and looks to be showing good stamina in his races. He's ods-on of course with such a small field. The other is the Japanese runner Alohi Alii who is very lightly raced in Japan and is still a maiden but he holds an entry into the Arc so there must be some confidence somewhere. He's on 7/1 and Christophe Lemaire is interrupting his holidays in his homeland to ride. He has never seen a soft track so he'll either go well or go slow.
Prior to that we have the Prix Gontaut-Biran G3 over 2000m with just 4 runners with First Look a worthy choice here for Wathnan Racing – (Fabre- James Doyle) with 5/1 in the UK. Goliath is favourite in the UK but his runs of late have not been exactly inspiring.
Sunday sees the running of the Jacques Le Marois over the famous straight mile. This is for 3yos (no geldings – why????) and has a field of 10. The Lion in Winter is the preferred O'Brien runner with Diego Velzquez as a presumed pacemaker. He's by Sea The Stars and is Ryan Moore's pick and on 4/1.
The Japanese have sent an interesting runner here is Ascoli Piceno who is also on 4/1and has Lemaire riding the son of Daiwa Major. He has been consistent in Japan at the top level and the only concern will be the soft track.
Docklands is having his last go in Europe before heading home and is 16/1 here but if he gets his act together he may still have a chance of redemption. He's n 16/1 and Tom Marquand has the ride. Notable Speech is also worth consideration in the redemption brigade.
In England Newbury features the G3 Geoffrey Freer and the G2 Hungerford stakes.
There are 6 runners in the Freer which is over 2700m and we are going to put Candleford 5/1 Haggas-Marquand on top here ahead of Pinhole who is admittedly very promising but 2/1 seems skinny as this is up in trip.
